These are moist, fudge cupcakes filled with a white chocolate and cream cheese filling, and topped with a whipped ganache buttercream frosting.  You definitely want to store these in the refrigerator before serving.  The buttercream is super-delicate and will melt even if sitting at room temperature for too long.  I found that I prefer them a little cool, anyway.

Enjoy this one!  And, if you think about it, please consider donating to the Joplin Disaster Relief.  You can text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to donate $10.  Those folks need our help…my little tornado phobia is nothing compared to what they’re going through right now.

Fudge Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups milk
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare two cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating thoroughly after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Add half flour mixture, then half milk, the remainder of flour mixture and then remainder of milk, beating after each addition until just combined.  Add melted chocolate and beat until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake papers half-full.  Bake 18-24 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  (Ovens vary widely, so keep an eye on these beginning at about the 16 minute mark,.  Don’t overbake!)  Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Using the cone method, prepare cupcakes for filling.  After filled, replace cones and frost.

White Chocolate Filling:
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 oz chopped white chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat cream in a medium sized bowl in the microwave until steaming hot but not boiling, about 60 seconds.  Add white chocolate to cream and whisk until white chocolate is completely melted.  Stir in vanilla, and cool for 20 minutes.  Using a mixer, add cream cheese and whisk until light and fluffy.  Allow mixture to cool before filling.

Scoop a large tablespoon of filling into prepared cupcakes.  Replace cone and frost.

Whipped Ganache Frosting:
18 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups whipping cream
4 sticks of butter, divided
1 cup powdered sugar

Heat cream in a medium sized bowl in the microwave until steaming hot but not boiling, about 60 seconds. Add chocolate to cream and whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.  Allow to cool, set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.  Pour cooled chocolate mixture into butter mixture and continue to whip until smooth.  If necessary, refrigerate the mixture until a pipe-able consistency is reached.  After refrigerating, you might have to re-whip to soften enough for piping.

Frost cupcakes as desired, and top with white sprinkles.

Enjoy!
Cupcakes adapted from Wilton, White Chocolate Filling adapted from foodnetwork.com, and frosting adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes.